Referral request email templates: asking employees, candidates and your network

A referral request email asks someone who knows good people to suggest or introduce a candidate for a specific role. The ones that work describe the person you need rather than the job posting, ask a narrow question such as "who is the best payroll specialist you have worked with?", include a short blurb the reader can forward, and say exactly what will happen to anyone they refer. Send targeted asks to a few people rather than a broadcast to everyone.

These templates are for asking others to refer. To contact the candidates directly once you have a name, use the candidate outreach email templates, including the one for a referred candidate, or the LinkedIn InMail templates if you are messaging on LinkedIn.

What a referral request needs

The narrow question works because people remember individuals, not categories. Ask about "the best person you have worked with" and they picture someone. Ask whether they "know anyone looking" and they think of who has mentioned job hunting, which is a much smaller and often weaker list.

Referral request templates for in-house teams

1. The targeted ask to a few colleagues

Send it individually to five to ten people most likely to know the right person, not to the whole company.

Subject: Who's the best [role] you've worked with?

Hi [first name],

I'm hiring a [title] for [team], and you've worked with a lot of
[function] people over the years, so I wanted to ask you directly.

Who's the best [role] you've worked with — someone who has [the
must-have, e.g. "run payroll across several states on their own"]?
They don't need to be looking.

The role: [one sentence on what they'd own]. $[range], [setup].

If a name comes to mind, you can either send it to me, or forward
this to them:

  "[Company] is hiring a [title] to [one line]. $[range], [setup].
   [Recruiter name] would love a short chat: [email/link]."

I'll reach out within two days of hearing from you and let you know
when the process wraps up. [Referral bonus: $___ if hired, paid
after ___, per our policy.]

Thanks,
[Your name]

2. Team-wide referral ask

When you do broadcast, keep it short and make the role easy to picture.

Subject: Referrals wanted: [title] ([team]) — who do you know?

Hi all,

We're hiring a [title] in [team]. In one line: [what they'll do].

The person we need has:
- [must-have 1]
- [must-have 2]
- [one trait the team values, described as behavior]

$[range], [location/setup]. Full description: [link]

Think of the best [role] you've worked with. Submit them at [link] or
reply to me with a name. You don't need to know if they're looking.

[Referral bonus details, per policy.]

[Your name]

3. Asking the hiring manager's team after intake

Subject: Help me find your next teammate

Hi [team],

[Hiring manager] and I have just agreed what we're looking for in the
new [title]. You know the work better than anyone, so before I start
searching:

1. Who is the strongest [role] you've worked with outside [Company]?
2. Where do the best people in this field talk shop — communities,
   events, newsletters?

A name, a link, or "nobody comes to mind" are all helpful. I'll keep
you posted on anyone you suggest.

[Your name]

Question 2 often yields more than question 1, because it points you at places to source rather than one person. Send this within a day of the intake meeting, while the team is still thinking about the role, and share the must-haves you agreed with the hiring manager so everyone describes the same person. If a teammate suggests someone they know well, ask them to say how they know the person and in what capacity they worked together; that context helps you judge the referral fairly and tells you whether the referrer should sit out the interviews.

Referral request templates for agency recruiters

4. Asking a candidate you placed

Wait until they are settled, usually a few months after they start. If the placement is still inside a guarantee period, check your client terms first; you do not want the request to unsettle a new starter.

Subject: Quick favor — who's the best [role] you know?

Hi [first name],

I hope [something specific: the new team / the project you mentioned]
is going well.

I'm working on a [title] role, [location/setup], $[range], and you
know that world well. Who's the best [role] you've worked with?

If you'd rather not share a name, you could forward them this:
  "[Agency]'s [your name] is recruiting a [title], $[range], [setup].
   Worth a chat: [email/phone]."

I'll let you know if anything comes of it, and I'll never mention your
name to them unless you're happy for me to.

[Your name]

Do not ask a placed candidate to refer colleagues from the client company they now work for. Many client agreements restrict agencies from recruiting a client's employees, and a referral from inside puts your placed candidate in an awkward position.

5. Asking a candidate who declined your role

Subject: Thanks for considering [role] — one small ask

Hi [first name],

Thanks again for being open with me about why [role] isn't right for
you right now. I'll keep your preferences in mind for [what they want].

If anyone you've worked with would be a strong fit for this one —
[must-have], $[range], [setup] — I'd be grateful for a name or for you
to pass my details on. No worries at all if not.

[Your name]

6. Asking a finalist who was not selected

Only for candidates who had a good experience, only after the rejection has been delivered and acknowledged, and only as a separate message a few days later.

Subject: Following up, and an optional ask

Hi [first name],

I wanted to say again that you were a strong finalist for [role], and
I'd like to stay in touch for [type of role].

Separately, and entirely optional: we're still hiring for [different
role, not the one they lost]. If someone you know comes to mind —
[one line] — I'd be glad to hear from them.

[Your name]

The thank-you and close-the-loop note

Referrers stop referring when names disappear into silence. Send this when the referred person's process ends, whatever the outcome.

Subject: Thank you for referring [candidate first name]

Hi [first name],

Thank you for connecting me with [candidate first name]. [Choose one:]
- We spoke and they've joined as [title] starting [date]. [Bonus
  details, per policy.]
- We spoke, and it wasn't the right match this time. I enjoyed the
  conversation and have kept their details for future roles, with
  their agreement.
- They decided not to go ahead with the process.

I really appreciate it. If anyone else comes to mind for [open roles],
I'm always glad to hear.

[Your name]

Share the stage and the outcome, not the reasons. Interview feedback belongs to the candidate, and a referrer who hears assessment details may repeat them.

Referrals, fairness and policy

• Do not rely on referrals alone. The EEOC's compliance manual says that where a workforce is not racially and ethnically diverse, relying exclusively on word-of-mouth recruiting can create a barrier to equal employment opportunity (EEOC Compliance Manual, Section 15). Post the role publicly and source broadly as well. This is a summary, not legal advice.
• Assess referred candidates the same way. Same screen, same scorecard, same bar. A referral gets someone a fast first conversation, not a lighter process. The how to reduce bias in interviews page covers why familiarity skews scores.
• Referral bonuses follow a written policy. Who is eligible, how much, when it is paid (often after the new hire completes a set period), and what happens with duplicate referrals. Ask your payroll or finance team how bonuses are taxed and reported, especially for non-employees.
• Referrers should not interview their referrals. Or, if the team is too small to avoid it, the referrer's relationship should be written on the scorecard.
• Ask before contacting. Confirm the referrer told the person you would be in touch, or ask the referrer to make the introduction.

Tracking referral asks

A short log keeps referral requests from being a one-off burst of enthusiasm:

Date asked | Asked whom | Role | Names received | Contacted (date) | Outcome | Referrer thanked (date)

Review it monthly. The people who give you strong names are worth asking again for the next role, and a role that gets no names from anyone is often a sign the description is unclear or the pay is out of line, not that nobody knows anyone. The job description guide can help with the first problem. When a referral turns into a first call, Interview Signal can take the notes without a bot joining, so you can listen rather than type.